A/HRC/30/50 respect their human rights and defend them when needed. The next step is to enhance crosscultural exchange and teach the young generation to eliminate such causes of conflict as sex discrimination and marginalization of social groups for cultural reasons. Sport can help educate people, especially young people, about these values. Sport also helps eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, promotes gender equality, reduces child mortality, improves maternal health and contributes to developing a global partnership for development. 40. Sport plays an important role in promoting international relations among peoples and opens up the field of common activity and competition between amateur and professional athletes. Moreover, athletes are considered as ambassadors of peace, cooperation and friendship between the peoples through their participation at the local and international levels. 41. Sport can also advance the cause of peace by bridging social, economic and cultural divides and building a sense of shared identity. It is important for States to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee and other sporting organizations, to use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation in areas of conflict during and beyond the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.13 H. Media, sport and human rights 42. The media is a critical stakeholder and plays a very important role in the promotion and popularization of sport. It is the media that has made possible the globalization of sport. Spreading knowledge about physical fitness, broadcasting sporting events and reporting on public figures in sport encourages viewers to appreciate high-level matches and sportsmanship. At the same time, it also acts as an amplifier for actions and sporting policies, both positive and negative, and has therefore become a powerful tool both for and against the promotion of human rights through sport. Because it has the power to shape public opinion, it can illustrate how sport can translate into respect for human rights and promote social cohesion and acceptance of diversity. The media uses mass communication tools during commentaries of football and other sporting events and can therefore easily disseminate human rights promotion messages during such events. 43. Moreover, the media aims to encourage Governments to ensure more transparency and accountability in the sporting system. It also exposes human rights violations, provides an arena for different voices to be heard, offers a significant opportunity for the promotion of peace through sport, in particular the Olympics and other mega sporting events, and plays a vital role in the creation of a friendlier society and more peaceful world. The media therefore has an important role in demonstrating the clear benefits of sport, not only in the area of health, but also in promoting social cohesion. Disseminating knowledge of sport and the Olympic Games helps enhance cooperation, the understanding of friendship and enterprising spirit. It is important to work towards improving friendship and communication between athletes and trainers from different countries or regions. Thus the media, as an influential actor, can promote and help spread social responsibility through sport and also stimulate massive social mobilization as regards its practice. It is argued that sporting events should therefore be covered by more television channels and national newspapers, highlighting the requirements for a culture of peace, such as fair play, cooperation and respect for the opponent. 13 See General Assembly resolution 66/5. 11